Project Goals and Timeline

The PBS Interest group was formed to explore common development areas and possible demonstration projects between Quilt participants, their constituencies, and PBS.

Internal group discussion for this group is facilitated through the pbs listserv (pbs-demo@thequilt.net) and includes PBS participants and other interested collaborators outside of the Quilt. This list focuses on the development of specific demonstrations and pilot projects.

As of January 2003, additional subscribers have been added to the pbs-demo list including PBS/CPB project staff and consultants, PBS stations engaged in current or past R&E/PBS projects, and additional Quilt institutional contacts. This expanded group is actively pursuing project development, with project characteristics such as:

· A focus on real activities, not just "demos for demos' sake"
· Visible milestones in the short term but having long term value & viability
· Uniting the common and overlapping objectives of the diverse project group

The first project the group is undertaking involves enabling the broadcast, both terrestrial and satellite, of continuous high definition feed(s) of "unproduced" natural content. Content under consideration includes an eagle's nest in its forest setting, feeds from natural zoo exhibits, and "sunsets around the globe" or other sky or possibly space-based events. The combined group interest in pursing this is three-fold: 1) to examine issues associated with various transport mechanisms that might be used to broadcast this content, 2) to generate useful "watchable" HD content to catalyze technology adoption, and 3) to explore the potential educational value in both the unproduced broadcast and learning objects or curriculum that might be built around or broadcast with it.

Current plans are to proceed with project development such that real project results can be presented at the Internet2 meeting, October 13 - 16, in Indiannapolis, IN.

Since there is a wide range of topics that might be considered by this group, initial activities will necessarily focus on information sharing and further refinement of potential project ideas. Milestones for this group are (subject to change since discussion is still young!):

Project Meeting Notes

• April 25, 2003 (Word document)
• March 28, 2003
• March 14, 2003 (Word document)
• February 14, 2003
• February 14, 2003
• January 31, 2003
• January 17, 2003
• December 20, 2002
• December 6, 2002
• November 22, 2002
• November 8, 2002
• October 18, 2002
• October 11, 2002

Article on a PBS distribution system (here).